Country's Largest Unions Move Toward AFL-CIO Split

ByABC News
June 15, 2005, 4:09 PM

June 15, 2005 — -- Frustrated by their failure to reform the nation's labor federation from within, five unions representing a third of the AFL-CIO's members founded a rival group today and pledged to coordinate a sustained effort to recruit new workers.

The presidents of two of those unions, the Service Employees International's Andrew Stern and the Food and Commercial Workers' Joe Hansen, strongly hinted they would withdraw from the AFL-CIO after the federation's July convention.

The new organization will be called the Change to Win Coalition. Its formation marks the end of a yearlong effort by Stern and the others to convince other unions to adopt their reform proposals, which stress structural reform and organizing new workers over political action.

"We don't think throwing more money into a political process and ignoring organizing is going to get the job done," Hansen said at a news conference.

Besides the SEIU and the UFCW, the other participating unions include the Teamsters; Unite-Here, which represents textile and food service workers; and the Laborers, an important construction union. Laborers' President Terry O'Sullivan said his union will remain in the AFL-CIO, but the Teamsters and Unite-Here may withdraw from the federation.

"This coalition is an historic occasion for working people. I hope and believe that it will spark a change in the labor movement that will change the face of America," said Unite-Here President Bruce Raynor.

These unions believe the AFL-CIO's own reform effort, which was endorsed by an executive committee on Monday, preserves the status quo and will do nothing to expand labor's size and clout. The unions plan to oppose AFL-CIO President John Sweeney when the labor federation votes on his re-election at its July convention.

"I sincerely hope that the unions forming this coalition outside the AFL-CIO will continue to join -- and help lead -- the rest of the union movement from within the AFL-CIO," Sweeney said in a statement. "Disunity only plays into the hands of workers' worst enemies at a time when working families are already under attack."